Human-artificial intelligence engagement exploring the perspectives of users and tourism managers

Abstract

The progress and sophistication of technological systems promise to accelerate the tourism sector, influencing business management at the commercial, human resources, and planning levels. The main objective of this thesis is to analyse the evolution of the literature on artificial intelligence and how it can be integrated with the constructs of engagement, intimate knowledge, authenticity, attachment, and psychological ownership. Several analyses were carried out to achieve the intended results. First, a comprehensive literature review was done, through the analysis of scientific articles, to understand the development of scientific research on artificial intelligence and user engagement. Secondly, a qualitative study was conducted to evaluate the impact of virtual assistants in the tourism industry, both at the organization and customer levels, using the thematic analysis method in structured interviews with top managers of the tourism sector. The results show that the benefits of using artificial intelligence outweigh the negative ones and will impact firm management. Finally, two quantitative studies were performed to analyse which factors influence customer engagement. The first study analyses the constructs of authenticity and attachment as motivators of engagement between tourists and virtual assistants, proving that these factors significantly influence the interaction between both. The second study investigates the communication between the virtual assistant and the user, emphasizing the importance of intimate knowledge, authenticity, and connection as psychological motivators. The results show that all three constructs significantly impact customer engagement with the virtual assistant.